Quinoa Stuffed Squash

I’ve been taken to ordering items from my CSA that I’ve never cooked with before. It keeps things interesting and I really do enjoy trying new things. I saw Sweet Dumpling Squash on the list and with a name like that how could I not order it. They look like mini pumpkins and have the most unique green and yellow striations I have ever seen. And yes their flesh is sweet like their name suggests.

We sliced them, de-seeded them and gave them a nice sprinkling of salt and pepper and then a little liquid gold before plopping them into the oven. We decided on quinoa for the stuffing. Keen-Wah as it’s pronounced. I made the mistake of embarrassing myself a few years back pronouncing it GASP like the name suggests it would sound. I’m sure it won’t be the last time I pronounce something improperly. Whichever way you pronounce it for me to like quinoa it has to have A LOT of flavor to it.

I like to cook it with stock instead of water. Flavor booster number 1. Since the squash is slightly sweet I wanted the filling to be savory. We plopped in tomatoes, Cuban seasoning (I am obsessed with this seasoning) and then finished it off with black beans and a little sprinkling of cilantro. It’s so good your family won’t even know they’re eating something incredibly good for them!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place squash halves onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment. Season with salt/pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until fork tender.

Into a medium-large saucepan bring stock to boil. Add quinoa, seasoning, tomatoes. Return to boil. Once boiling reduce heat to simmer and cook for approximately 15 minutes or until liquid has absorbed.

9 Comments

We forgot about our CSA for the last three weeks! Though it hasn’t really dazzled me with the summer squash, tomato, cucumber, corn combo every time. I was hoping to get fennel, beets, and other non-garden-staples. Oh well. I’ve never used a sweet dumpling squash, gonna have to try that!